■-• A w» 



F .^^^^^^ 

zWd' A CONDENSED HISTORY 



OF 



Dearborn Park, 



AND THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE DURING THE PAST 
EIGHT YEARS TO SECURE THE RIGHT TO ERECT A 



PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING 



AND A 



S0LDIER3' AND SAILORS' MEMORIAL HALL 

ON THE SAME. 



BY HON. KIRK HAWES, 

Judge of the Superior Court ot Cook County, and President of the Grand 
Army Hall and Memorial Associatiori of Illinois. 



Adopted and published by The Chicago Public Library, and 
the Grand Army Hall and Memorial Association of Illinois. 



CHICAGO: 

1891. 




Glass. 
Book. 






A CONDENSED HISTORY 



OF 



DEARBORN PARK. 



The piece of ground called Dearborn Park formerly consti- 
tuted a part of what was knovv^n as Fort Dearborn Military- 
Reservation. This reservation embraced within its limits about 
57 acres, and extended from the Chicago River on the north, 
to Madison Street on the south, and from State Street on the 
west to the margin of the Lake on the east. 

In 1839, the Indians having removed from the west shore 
of Lake Michigan and there being no further use for this mili- 
tary reservation, the Government of the United States took 
steps to dispose of it, and to that end Matthew Birchard was 
appointed a special agent of the War Department, to proceed 
to Chicago, subdivide this tract of land into blocks and lots 
and sell the same at public auction. Pursuant to instruc- 
tions received, Mr. Birchard caused this tract of land to be 
surveyed, and a map or plat made showing the blocks and 
lots with streets and alleys, substantially as they exist to-day, 
with the exception that no street, so designated, was shown 
on this plat extending from Madison Street to Randolph 
Street, in the place where Michigan Avenue is now located. 

The piece of ground now known as Dearborn Park, togeth- 
er with all the land east and adjoining it down to the margin 
of the Lake, was marked on this plat, "Public Ground, for- 
ever to remain vacant of buildings." The map or plat was 
acknowledged by Birchard and filed for record in the Record- 



er's office of Cook County. At the time this subdivision was 
made there was nothing to cut off the view looking eastward 
from Wabash avenue, and this piece of ground marked "Pub- 
lic Ground," etc., extended from the rear of the Wabash ave- 
nue lots down to the margin of the Lake, as one unbroken 
piece. 

Owing to some informality in the making of this plat, it 
was for a long time generally understood that the legal title 
or fee to this "Public Ground" did not pass from the United 
States; and such was the opinion of Judge Drummond, ren- 
dered in the case of the United States vs. Illinois Central 
Railroad Company, reported in 2 Biss. U. S. Circuit Court Re- 
ports, 1 74. Such also was the view taken of the matter by Judge 
Davis and Senators Edmunds and Thurman, in the debate 
that was held in the United States Senate, when the bill was 
under consideration authorizing a sale to the Illinois Central 
Railroad Company of that portion of this piece of public 
ground lying east of Michigan avenue. 

For a number of years prior to i88g, the Directors of the 
Chicago Public Library and a committee, representing the 
various Grand Army Posts of Cook County, adopting the 
general opinion and relying upon the decision of Judge 
Drummond, were engaged in a joint effort to secure permis- 
sion from the United States, the supposed legal holder of the 
title, to erect on that portion of this public ground, now pop- 
ularly called Deaborn Park, a Public Library building and a 
Soldiers' Memorial Hall. 

As early as 1883 a bill of this character was introduced in 
Congress but failed to pass. 

Some tiine in 1886 the Senate finally passed a bill author- 
izing the erection on this piece of ground of a Soldiers' Me- 
morial Hall, an Academy of Design and a Public Library 
building, each building to occupy one-third of the ground. 

Subsequently, and before this bill was acted upon in the 
House, the Directors of the Library, thinking that one-third 




3 

of the ground would not be sufficient for library purposes, 
proposed to the representatives of the two other institutions 
that the bill as passed by the Senate should be so amended 
as to authorize the Library to occupy one-half of the ground 
instead of one-third; the Memorial Hall and Academy of De- 
sign to have one-quarter each instead of one-third. 

This proposition was assented to; the Memorial Hall Com- 
mittee agreeing with the Directors of the Library, that, in 
view of the rapid growth of the city, a building covering one- 
half of the ground in question was required to accommodate 
the public. 

An agreement in writing was accordingly entered into, 
whereby it was stipulated that the Senate bill should be 
amended in the manner indicated. 

This agreement was signed by Thomas C. MacMillan, 
Chairman of the committee representing the Library, by A. 
L. Chetlain, Chairman of the committee of ex-soldiers' organ- 
izations of Cook County, and by John F. Stafford, as Presi- 
dent of the Academy of Design, and was approved by the 
Board of Directors of the Public Library, December 23, 1886, 
and is set forth at full length in their published proceedings 
of that date. 

The bill, which had passed the Senate, was introduced in 
the House, and referred to a committee, who reported ad- 
versely to the claim of the Academy of Design, and recom- 
mended that the bill be amended so as to authorize the erec- 
tion on the premises of a Public Library and a Memorial 
Hall, the two to cover the entire space. That it may 
be seen how this proposition to occupy a portion of Dearborn 
Park with a Memorial Hall was viewed b}' this committee of 
the House, we quote from their report: 

"The Memorial Hall is a most worthy enterprise, and we 
can conceive of no fitter use for a portion of this park than 
to build thereon a Memorial Hall for the reception of relics 
of the late war, and to furnish halls and other accommoda- 



4 
tions for the meetings of the war veterans, soldiers and sail- 
ors. As the ex-soldiers and sailors can have by the limitation 
of life but a few years of personal use of their proposed hall, 
and, as a grateful people will desire to keep forever in some 
public place the relics deposited in Memorial Hall, we have 
provided that after fifty years the right, title and use of said 
Memorial Hall shall rest in the Directors of the Chicago Pub- 
lic Library," etc. 

This bill for some cause failed to pass the House and for 
a time no further efforts in the matter were made. 

In the latter part of 1887, it being understood that no bill 
could be passed by Congress which recognized the claim of 
the Academy of Design, a renewed effort was made by the 
committee representing the Library and the Soldiers to secure 
the passage of a bill authorizing the erection of a Soldiers' 
Memorial Hall and a Public Library, as provided by the 
amended bill that had been defeated in the House. A bill 
permitting the erection of a Library building on the south 
three-quarters of this piece of ground and a Soldiers' Memor- 
ial Hall on the north one-quarter, was agreed upon and in- 
troduced in the Senate and in the House at about the same 
time. A special committee, consisting of Kirk Hawes, rep- 
resenting the soldiers of Cook County, and Messrs. Adolph 
Moses and John G. Shortall, representing the Library, went to 
Washington, appeared before both the Senate and the House 
cojnmittees having the bill in charge, explained its provisions 
and urged its passage. Through the efforts of Senators Far- 
well and Cullom this bill was passed by the Senate. It was 
read in the House and referred to a committee. In the 
meantime, and while it was still pending in the House, Judge 
Harlan, one of the judges of the United States Supreme 
Court, rendered his opinion in what is popularly known as 
the "Lake Front case," holding, in substance, that whether 
the Birchard plat was made in accordance with the statutes 
of Illinois or not, the United States had no title to this piece 



5 

of ground, but it was vested in the municipal corporation of 
Chicago as the agent of the State of Illinois, for public pur- 
poses. 

This decision was rendered in February, 1888, and of 
course paralyzed all further efforts to secure the passage of 
the bill then pending in the House at Washington. 

Being advised that no appeal was likely to be taken from 
this decision, and it would therefore stand as the law, so far 
as the legal title to this piece of ground was concerned, the 
committee representing the soldiers proposed to the repre- 
sentatives of the Library that a bill similar to the one then 
pending in Congress should be prepared and presented to 
the Legislature of this State. 

This proposition for some cause was not endorsed by the 
Directors of the Library, and the committee representing the 
soldiers accordingly prepared and caused to be presented to 
the Legislature of the State, a bill authorizing the, Directors 
of the "Soldiers' Home in Chicago" to erect a Memorial Hall 
on the north quarter of Dearborn Park. 

Resolutions favoring the passage of this bill were present- 
ed to the State encampment of the Grand Army of the Re- 
public at Springfield, and the convention was urged by Julius 
White, Kirk Hawes and E. A. Calkins to unanimously adopt 
them. This was done. 

Through the efforts of Hon. H. H. Thomas in the Senate, 
and of Hon. Edward J. Whitehead in the House, the bill 
was passed by the Legislature, signed by the Governor and 
became a law on the first day of July, 1889. 

This Act contains no direct provisions for the occupation 
of the south three-quarters of the ground by the Public Libra- 
ry, the committee having the matter in charge not consider- 
ing that they had the right to insert such a provision in the 
bill under the circumstances. Believing, however, that good 
faith to the representatives of the Library demanded that the 
Memorial Hall should not occupy more than one-quarter of 



the ground, as had finally been agreed upon, and as citizens 
of Chicago, having a deep interest in the future welfare of 
the Public Library, they caused several provisions of benefit 
to the Public Library to be inserted in the bill. 

One of these provisions is to the effect that the Directors 
of the Chicago Public Library shall have the right to store 
and keep in the Memorial Hall building, when erected, all 
such maps, charts, books, periodicals, papers and other liter- 
ature relating to the late Civil War, or the military history of 
the country, as they may desire. 

By another section of this Act it is provided that the Me- 
morial Hall may be turned over and conveyed to the Direct- 
ors of the Chicago Public Library at the end of fifty years 
from its completion, it being assumed that at the expiration 
of fifty years from the completion of the buildings there 
would be few of the old soldiers left to use the hall. (Said 
Act may be found in Hurd's Revised Statutes, i88g, at 
page 234). 

After the passage of the Act of July, 1889, efforts were 
made by the committee representing the soldiers, to obtain 
the consent of the abutting property owners, to the erection 
of a Memorial Hall on the north quarter of the Park, as pro- 
vided by the Act, it being conceded that the owners of prop- 
erty abutting on this piece of ground held certain rights in 
the same that must be considered before any building could 
legally be erected thereon. 

It was soon discovered, however, that several of these 
abutting property owners were opposed to any occupation of 
the north quarter except for Library purposes, declaring that 
the whole plot of land would be none too much for a perma- 
nent and adequate building. 

The opposition thus met with must be considered, for it 
was reasonably clear that a temporary injunction, at least, 
could be obtained by any property owner, and that a clear 



7 

title to the ground could not be obtained until a final decision 
could be reached in the Supreme Court. 

Into such a contest as this promised to be, the Directors of • 
the Soldiers' Home in Chicago — the corporation authorized 
by the Act to build the Hall, and having the funds with which 
to do it — were reluctant to enter; but, at this time, and most 
opportunely, the proposition was received from their old al- 
lies, the Directors of the Chicago Public Library, to the effect, 
that they erect a Library Building upon the entire plot of 
ground, and in consideration of the surrender by the soldiers 
of their right to the north quarter, the Directors of the Libra- 
ry would construct, within the new building to be erected, a 
Memorial Hall, and allow the Grand Army Posts to use it for 
the purposes of their organization for fifty years, (the period 
that had always been agreed upon in the various bills intro- 
duced in Congress), the Public Library Directors, considering 
that any building that should be built by them for the future, 
must, necessarily, enclose considerable space that would not 
be actually needed for Library uses for the period mentioned, 
especially as it was agreed that the War literature could, and 
might properly and conveniently, be placed within the Hall so 
to be constructed. 

On reception of this proposition a general meeting of all the 
committees from the various Grand Army Posts was called in 
conjunction with representatives from the Soldiers' Home in 
Chicago. At this meeting a full report was made by the Sub- 
Committee, through Kirk Hawes, its Chairman, giving a con- 
densed history of the efforts that had been made during the 
previous eight years to secure the right to build a Memorial 
Hall on this piece of ground. After a full discussion of the 
whole subject and upon the recommendation of the represen- 
tatives from the Soldiers' Home, it was finally decided to 
give up the attempt to erect a separate Memorial Hall upon 
the north quarter of this piece of ground, and accept the pro- 
position of the Directors of the Chicago Public Library. 



8 

This action occasioned no little regret to some of thosa 
who had labored, so earnestly and so long to obtain the right 
to erect this Hall. Under all the circumstances, however, it 
seemed to be and doubtless v/as the wiser course to abandon it. 

At this time, as might naturally be expected after so 
many 5'ears of labor, it was found that a large number of 
committees had been created, with powers and duties not 
very clearl}' defined, and with no definite object then in view. 
It was therefore thought best by the leaders in the enterprise, 
and with their concurrence, to disband all those committees, 
including the general committee, and form an organization 
under the State laws relating to corporations not for pecuniary 
profit, to take charge of the whole matter, and make all 
necessary arrangements with the Directors of the Public 
Library for their occupation of the ground and the erection 
of a Memorial Hall. An organization of this character, com- 
posed of delegates from each of the Grand Army Posts in the 
County was accordingly formed under the name and style of 
"The Grand Army Hall and Memorial Association of Illinois. " 
As soon as this organization was formed, it at once took up 
the work where the general committee had left it. 

A communication was sent to the Directors of the Library 
informing them that their proposition wa-s accepted. An 
ordinance authorizing the Directors of the Public Library to 
take possession of the whole of Dearborn Park and erect 
thereon a Library Building which should contain a Soldiers' 
Memorial Hall, was agreed upon by the respective parties, 
and passed by the City Council, May 19, 1890, of which the 
following is a copy: 

* ' Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Chicago : 

Section i. That the Board of Directors of the Public 
Library of the City of Chicago be, and they are hereby 
authorized to take possession of the piece of ground now 
known as "Dearborn Park," in that part of the City of 
Chicago, State of Illinois, known as the "Fort Dearborn 



Addition to Chicago," and bounded on the north by the 
south line of Randolph Street, on the east by the west line of 
Michigan Avenue, on the south by the north line of Wash- 
ington Street, and on the west by the east line of an alley 
known as Dearborn Place, and to erect thereon a Public 
Library Building, under and in pursuance of the powers and 
authority conferred upon said Board of Directors by the 
statute entitled: "An act to authorize cities, incorporated 
towns and townships to establish and maintain free public 
libraries and reading rooms" (approved and in force March 7, 
1872), and the various amendments thereto: Provided, that in 
erecting such building the said Board of Directors shall make 
provision for a Memorial Hall, for the use of such organiza- 
tions of Union soldiers and sailors of the Ikte Civil War as 
have their headquarters in Cook County, to be used by them 
for the purposes of their organization, and for the preserva- 
tion of relics and mementos of the late Civil War, at a 
nominal rent, merely for the purpose of attornment, for the 
period of fifty years, and no longer. 

Section 2. This ordinance shall be in force from and after 
its passage." 

In the meantime the Directors of the Library had obtained 
the consent of most, if not of all, the abutting property owners, 
to the erection of a Library Building on the premises in 
question, according to the ordinance, and, after its passage, 
the Directors of the Library took possession of the ground, 
built a high board fence around it, with gates, and have ever 
since held possession of the same. 

Soon after the passage of this ordinance by the City 
Council, the Directors of the Soldiers' Home in Chicago 
passed a resolution authorizing their President and Secretary 
to execute and deliver to the Grand Army Hall and Memorial 
Association of Illinois, a power of attorney, authorizing that 
Association to sell, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise 
dispose of all the right, title and interest which the Soldiers' 
Home in Chicago acquired under and by virtue of the Act of 
July, 1889, upon such terms and conditions as the Directors 
of the said Association might determine; — authorizing them 



to make all such arrangements, contracts or agreements con- 
cerning the same as they might deem necessary. 

It being conceded that the legal right to occupy this so- 
called Park must be obtained from the Legislature, a Com- 
mittee representing the Library and delegates from the said 
Association prepared a bill giving the Directors of the Library 
the right to erect a building covering the entire ground in 
question, provided that they first secured the rights of the 
Soldiers' Home in Chicago in and to the north quarter of the 
same, and provided further that they construct in such build 
ing a Soldiers' Memorial Hall. 

This bill was introduced in the Senate by the Hon. H. H.. 
Thomas, January 27, 1891, and by the Hon. James F. Quinn, 
in the House Februar}' 3, i8gi; and the same is now pending 
in both Houses. The following is a copy of the bill so intro- 
duced: 

AN ACT 

To AUTHORIZE "The Chicago Public Library" to 

ERECT AND MAINTAIN A PUBLlC LiBRARY ON DeARBORN PaRK, IN 

THE City of Chicago, and to authorize the "Soldiers' Home 
IN Chicago," to sell and dispose of its interest in the 
North One-Quarter of the same. 

Whereas, In the original subdivision of a tract of land in 
the west part of the South-West Fractional Quarter of 
Section 10, Township 39 North, Range 14, East of the Third 
Principal Meridian, as subdivided and platted under the 
authority of the Secretary of War, in the 3^ear 1839, a square 
or tract of land in said subdivision, a part of which is known 
as Dearborn Park, was set aside for Park purposes, and was 
so dedicated by the General Government; 

And, Whereas, The circumstances under which said dedica- 
tion was made no longer exist, so that said Park cannot be 
used or utilized for the purposes for which said dedication 
was made, the growth and development of business having 
now rendered it worthless for such purposes; 



Therefore: Section i. — Be it enacted by the people of the 
State of Illinois, represented in General Assembly: That The 
Chicago Public Library be, and it is hereby authorized to 
take possession of the piece of ground now known as Dear- 
born Park, in that part of the City of Chicago, State of 
lUinois, known as the Fort Dearborn Addition to Chicago, 
and bounded on the North by the South line of Randolph 
Street, on the East by the West line of Michigan Avenue, on 
the South by the North line of Washington Street, on the 
West by the East line of an Alley known as Dearborn Place, 
and to erect and maintain thereon a Public Library Building, 
under and in pursuance of the powers and authority conferred 
upon said "The Chicago Public Library" by an Act entitled 
"An Act to authorize Cities, Incorporated Towns and Town- 
ships, to establish and maintain Free Public Libraries and 
Reading Rooms," approved and in force March 7, 1872, and 
the various amendments thereto; Provided, That no building 
shall be erected upon the North One-Quarter {y^') of said 
ground by the Chicago Public Library until it has obtained, 
by purchase or otherwise, whatever interest the "Soldiers' 
Home in Chicago" acquired in the same, under and by virtue 
of an Act entitled, "an Act to authorize the Soldiers' Home 
in Chicago to erect and maintain a Soldiers' Memorial Hall 
on the North One-Quarter (34^) of Dearborn Park in the City 
of Chicago," approved June 4, i88g; And Provided Further, 
That in case "The Chicago Public Library" shall obtain by 
purchase or otherwise whatever interest the Soldiers' Home 
in Chicago may have in said North One-Quarter {}{') of 
Dearborn Park, then and in such case "The Chicago Public 
Library," in erecting such Library building, shall construct 
in such part of it as it may elect or determine, a Hall, to be 
known and forever maintained as a Memorial Hall, to com- 
memorate the patriotism and sacrifices of the Union Soldiers 
and Sailors of the late Civil War, which Hall, when com- 
pleted, may be leased by "The Chicago Public Library" at a 
nominal rental, for the period of fifty years to the Grand 
Army Hall and Memorial Association of Illinois, to be used 
by it, and such other organizations of Union Soldiers and 
Sailors of the late Civil War, having their headquarters in 
Cook County, as it may direct, for the purposes of their 
organization. 



12 

Section 2. The "Soldiers' Home in Chicago" is hereby 
authorized to sell, assign, transfer and convey to "The Chi- 
cago Public Library," upon such terms and conditions as 
may be agreed upon, all the right, title and interest which 
said "Soldiers' Home in Chicago" now holds in or to the 
North One-Quarter (^) of said Dearborn Park; and when 
such assignment or conveyance is made, the said "The Chi- 
cago Public Library" shall become seized and possessed of 
all the rights and interests in and to said North One-Quarter 
(}^) of Dearborn Park, that are now held by the "Soldiers' 
Home in Chicago," or by the State of Illinois, and may take 
possession of and use the same for Library purposes as pro- 
vided in Section i of this Act." 

It is understood and agreed that when this bill becomes a 
law, the "Soldiers' Home in Chicago," by its attorney in 
fact, the Grand Army Hall and Memorial Association of 
Illinois, shall transfer and convey to the Directors of the 
Chicago Public Library, all the right, title and interest 
acquired by the Soldiers' Home in Chicago in and to the 
North Quarter of the Park under the Act of July, 1889; and 
the Directors of the Library, in consideration of such transfer, 
will construct a Memorial Hall in the new Library Building 
to be erected thereon in the manner provided by the bill. 

It is hoped and believed that this bill will not meet with 
any serious opposition in either branch of the Legislature, 
since it will affect no one in its operation outside of the City 
of Chicago, and no one adversely in the city. 

This piece of ground called Dearborn Park, is centrally 
located and easy of access from the three divisions of the 
city. It is of the right shape and size for a library building, 
and there is no other piece of ground, not already occupied, 
where a library building can be located that will accommodate 
all parts of the city. The rooms now occupied by the library 
are on the fourth floor of the City Hall, and are accessible 
only by means of elevators, which are constantly crowded 
with public officials, clerks and citizens having business to 



13 

transact in the various departments of the city government. 
Patrons of the Public Library, especially women and young 
girls, find it disagreeable as well as somewhat dangerous, to 
visit the Public Library, making use of these crowded 
elevators. The storage capacity of the Library rooms is not 
adequate to the large number of books and immense volume 
of reading matter already owned by that institution. There 
are no consulation rooms where students, authors and writers 
can retire to consult voluminous and valuable works which 
cannot be withdrawn from the Library. The general reading 
public is crowded into one or two small reading rooms, 
while the quarters of the officials of the Library are cramped 
and illy arranged. Added to all this the City officials, by 
reason of the great increase of business, require more room 
for themselves and would ■ be glad, it is understood, if the 
Library could find quarters elsewhere. Under all these cir- 
cumstances, therefore, the citizens of Chicago are to be 
congratulated upon the fact that a desirable site for the 
Public Library, where there will be plenty of room is, at last, 
about to be secured. 

That the Union Soldiers and Sailors, not only of Chicago 
but of the entire State of Illinois, have reason to congratulate 
themselves, and ought to put forth every effort to secure the 
passage of this bill, must be clear to all. For this bill not 
only provides permanent quarters for all the old army veterans 
of Cook County, but it also provides for the construction and 
maintenance of a Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Hall to 
commemorate and forever bear witness to the patriotism and 
sacrifices of the Soldiers and Sailors from Illinois who took 
part in the great contest. It is a noteworthy, if not a lament- 
able fact, that while many of the other States of the Union 
have erected colossal monuments and elaborate memorial 
buildings to the memory of their sons who lost their lives in 
the war, neither the great State of Illinois that furnished 
a Lincoln, a Grant, a Logan, and 250,000 men, nor its 



principal metropolis, now the second city in point of popula- 
tion in the Union, has ever erected a memorial building or 
monumental structure of any importance to commemorate 
the memory of the brave men from this State who died in the 
struggle. 

An opportunity is now given, by this bill before the Legis- 
lature, to make amends for the past, and the friends of the 
enterprise feel quite sanguine that no one will be found who 
can, or will, attempt to offer any valid objections to its 
passage. 

Not only will this Memorial Hall, when completed, be a 
safe depository for all the flags, relics and valuable mementos 
of the late war, now owned by the various Grand Army Posts 
and scattered about throughout the County, but it is hoped and 
expected by the promoters of the enterprise that the special 
friends and admirers of the distinguished Generals and leaders 
in the late war will procure and present, to be placed in the 
Hall, portraits by the best artists, of Lincoln, Grant, Sher- 
man, Thomas, Sheridan, Logan, and other prominent men 
who took an active part in the great conflict, either in the 
field or in the council — portraits or other mementos of those 
great leaders, that face and personality, as well as name, may 
be handed down to those who shall follow them and us. 

Concurred in and adopted by the "j 
Directors of the Chicago Public Library, l 
Feb. 14, 1891, and ordered printed. j 

John G. Shortall, 

President Chicago Public Library. 



ADDKNDUM. 



Consent of Abutting Property-Owners. 



Chicago, July 14th, 1890. 

The undersigned, owners of property adjacent, hereby 
consent to the erection of a Public Library Building on 
Dearborn Park, in accordance with the ordinance of the 
Common Council recently passed ; 

Provided, There shall be left a space of not less than 
fifteen feet between the building to be erected on said Park, 
and the street lines on Washington and Randolph Streets and 
Dearborn (or Garland) Place, and that one of the main 
entrances to said building shall be upon Washington and one 
upon Randolph streets. 

Clarence W. Marks 

Sprague, Warner & Co. 

L. C. Paine Freer 

Caroline D. Ely, 

By Thos. E. Patterson, AtVy. 

Geo. M. High, Executor 

Le Grand Burton 

Reid & Murdoch 

Bradshaw & Wait 

Edward G. Uihlein 

Estate George Watson, 

By Frank M. Elliott, Agent. 

Young Men's Christian Association 

By S. M. Moore, Pres. Board of Trustees' 

Thomas Lord 



s^ 



The Board of Directors of the Chicago Public Library 
desires to express its appreciation of the kindness and 
public spirit actuating the gentlemen whose signatures 
appear on the preceding page, and to thank them on 
behalf of the people of Chicago, for their graceful and 
courteous assistance as above expressed in the effort to 
secure for the City of Chicago a suitable home for its 
great Public Library. 

John G. Shortall, 

President Chicago Public Library^ 

Chicago, February 14th, 1891. 



J^ 




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